Reflow condensation soldering machine

Abstract

Reflow condensation soldering machine comprising a circulation system for a heat transfer medium, the reflow condensation soldering machine comprising the circulation system, a centrifuge and a condensation device for the heat transfer medium.

What is claimed is: 
     
         1 . Reflow condensation soldering machine comprising a circulation system for a heat transfer medium, wherein the circulation system comprises a centrifuge and a condensation device for the heat transfer medium. 
     
     
         2 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the centrifuge is a disc separator. 
     
     
         3 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 2 , wherein the disc separator has a number of discs, and disc spacing and the speed of rotation of the disc separator is adapted to achieve a desired plant throughput, taking into account expected particle sizes of impurities of the heat transfer medium and viscosity of the contaminated heat transfer medium. 
     
     
         4 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the disc separator comprises 4 to 250 discs. 
     
     
         5 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 3 , wherein the disc spacing between the discs is in the range of 0.2 mm-14 mm. 
     
     
         6 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the discs are equally spaced. 
     
     
         7 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 5 , wherein the spacing between the discs in the inlet area is smaller or larger than at the end of a stack of the discs opposite the inlet area. 
     
     
         8 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the centrifuge is adapted to perform 1-150,000 revolutions per minute, preferably 1,000 to 10,000 revolutions per minute. 
     
     
         9 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the centrifuge is adapted to process 1-6 liters of condensed heat transfer medium. 
     
     
         10 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the condensation device for the heat transfer medium is integrated in the centrifuge. 
     
     
         11 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 10 , wherein the condensation device for the heat transfer medium comprises temperature limiting means of one or more components of the centrifuge. 
     
     
         12 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 11 , wherein the temperature limiting means comprises active cooling of the one or more components of the centrifuge. 
     
     
         13 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 11 , wherein the temperature limiting means comprises passive cooling of the one or more components of the centrifuge. 
     
     
         14 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 13 , further comprising means for supplying purified PFPE during a cooling phase of passive cooling of the centrifuge. 
     
     
         15 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 11 , wherein the centrifuge is a disc separator and one or more components of the disc separator comprises at least one of the following:
 an inlet of the disc separator, a float of the disc separator, one or a plurality of separator discs, a separator drum.   
     
     
         16 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 12 , wherein a wall of said one or plurality of components has at least one cavity through which a cooling fluid can flow. 
     
     
         17 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 12 , wherein a heat pipe is integrated in a wall of the one or more components. 
     
     
         18 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 13  wherein at least one component of said one or more components is configured such that a heat capacity of the at least one component is sufficient to absorb a quantity of heat of the vaporous heat transfer medium flowing past during a predetermined separation phase so that the heat transfer medium condenses. 
     
     
         19 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer medium has a boiling point of 260° C. 
     
     
         20 . Reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 1 , wherein the heat transfer medium is Galden or PFPE. 
     
     
         21 . Method of operating the reflow condensation soldering machine according to  claim 1 , comprising:
 injecting vaporous perfluoropolyethers into a hermetically sealed first process chamber containing an assembly to be soldered,   heating the assembly by condensing the vaporous perfluoropolyether,   suction of condensed and vaporous perfluoropolyethers including impurities,   feeding the condensed and vaporous perfluoropolyethers including impurities to a separating condensate trap comprising a disc separator and condensing device for condensing the perfluoropolyether,   condensing and separating the perfluoropolyether from the impurities with the separating condensate trap, and   using a purified perfluoropolyether for a soldering process for a subsequent assembly.   
     
     
         22 . Method according to  claim 21 , in which the disc separator is brought into a rest state during a soldering phase and in which the disc separator is prefilled with the purified or a fresh perfluoropolyether after the end of the rest phase, preferably with 0.5-3 liters of perfluoropolyether, and particularly preferably with 0.9-1.1 liters of perfluoropolyether. 
     
     
         23 . Method according to  claim 21 , in which the disc separator is operated continuously, wherein the purified perfluoropolyether or vapor from a second process chamber, which operates with a time offset relative to the first process chamber, is fed to the disc separator during a soldering phase.